1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a novel transportable basketball system for enabling the safe playing of basketball-related games on beaches, shorelines and other sand covered outdoor environments where the forces of wind and turbulent airstreams can be strong and unpredictable.
2. Brief Description of the Invention
Annually, millions of people, both young and old, travel to beaches, lakes and shorelines to enjoy the sand, surf and sun. To pas the time and have fun, these beach goers toss Frisbee(copyright) discs and balls, and play various types of games including volleyball, badminton, and horseshoes. About a decade and a half ago, a modified version of basketball, called xe2x80x9cbeach basketballxe2x80x9d was invented by Philip Bryant on the physical education fields of Gulf Shores School. This game is played on a circular court formed on the beach, and uses a hoop goal without a backboard structure, enabling a basketball to be passed through the hoop from any direction on the circular court. In accordance with game regulations published on the World Beach Basketball(copyright) WWW site at http://www.beachbasketball.com, there are no out of bounds conditions, and no time clocks, thus providing for non-stop action and play. Ball movement is carried out by passing or taking 2xc2xd steps and then passing the ball. Dribbling the ball is not allowed.
While the game of beach basketball described above has evolved from a tremendously effective skill improvement game, to a very popular, widespread competitive beach sport, it nevertheless suffers from a number of shortcomings and drawbacks.
In particular, it involves equipment which is bulky and difficult to install in the sand. In particular, the associated pole structure requires permanent or semi-permanent installation involving the excavation of deep holes of at least 3-4 feet deep, and possibly the adding of a cementous mixture to secure the pole structure with the ground in order to safely support the hoop structure of this prior art basketball system. Consequently, this prior art design basketball system design is not suitable for simple and convenient installation and use by parents and grandparents supervising several young children who want to play a basketball-related game on the beach for an afternoon, and thereafter want to dissemble and transport the system back home with the ease of installing and using a beach umbrella.
Moreover, this prior art basketball system does not have a backboard structure for making bank-type shots, and visually-tracking the location of the hoop structure through which players seek to pass a ball during game play.
Efforts to add a conventional backboard structure to prior art beach basketball systems, as described above, will require even more massive basketball pole subsystems, and pole anchoring measures, to support the weight of the backboard structure against gravitational forces, and prevent the resulting structure from being blown down by forceful air currents and sand streams produced by gusts of winds typically expected along beaches, oceanfronts, lakes and shorelines. Such resulting structures will necessarily require careful planning in designated areas and involve permanent installation methods practiced only by highly trained recreational engineers and construction workers.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for an improved way of and means for enabling parents, grandparents and others to safely play basketball-related games on beaches, ocean-fronts, lake-fronts, shorelines and other sand covered outdoor environments, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of and system for safely playing basketball-related games on beaches, shorelines and other sand-covered outdoor environments, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a novel transportable basketball system which employs a wind-transmissive backboard structure that is light-weight and presents little resistance to wind and air currents produced on beaches, shorelines and other sand-covered outdoor environments, and a sand-based pole anchoring assembly that is provided to securely support the pole assembly firmly within the soil, so that basketball-related games can be played safely even in windy environments.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the wind-transmissive backboard structure is realized by a lightweight framework defining the perimeter of the backboard and an open-cell type mesh material having a coarse weave which is stretched between the frame borders to provide a substantially planar wind-transmissive backboard surface, against which a light-weight basket ball will deflect during basketball play.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the pole assembly is formed by interlocking a plurality of pole sections together, and once assembled, the pole structure is inserted within clamping structures provided on the rear of the backboard structure and thereafter securely clamped onto the pole assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the sand-based pole anchoring assembly of the present invention exploits principles of soil-mechanics to securely anchor the pole assembly with a bed of water-saturated sand and to enable the safe playing of basketball on windy beaches without the risk of wind lifting the basketball system out of the sand and rendering it airborne.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the sand-based pole anchoring assembly includes a pole anchoring sleeve with a hollow inner volume and screw threads for manually driving the sleeve into a bed of sand by manual rotation of the sleeve.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the pole anchoring sleeve also has perforations formed on the walls thereof to enable grains of sand outside the sleeve to pass therethrough, and set up with grains of sand when saturated with water during the pole installation process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable basketball system, wherein the sand-based pole anchoring assembly includes a pole anchoring plate having perforations which allow grains of dry sand to flow therethrough, and set up with surrounding grains of sand when the buried pole anchoring plate is buried beneath a bed of dry sand during the pole installation process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a novel transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the height of the basketball hoop structure can be adjusted from about 5 to about 8 or more feet above the sand surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a novel transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein the total weight of the system, when disassembled and configured into its transport configuration, is less than about 15 pounds.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a novel transportable basketball system, wherein the backboard structure, basketball hoop and pole components of the system are made from a plastic or other lightweight non-conductive material which does not conduct electricity or support intensity electric field intensities, thereby reducing the likelihood of attracting lightening bolts during sudden lightening storms along a beach or shoreline.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a novel transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, which can be used to play basketball related games on the beach or in shallow water, typically without dribbling the ball.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, which can be disassembled and reconfigured into an ultra-compact lightweight assembly that can be easily carried from the home, into the car and from the car onto the beach or lakefront for assembly and installation with minimal effort, no greater than installing a beach umbrella.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable wind-transmissive basketball system having a transportable weight of less than 15 pounds and can be easily assembled put together in less than five minutes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable basketball system, wherein the wind-transmissive backboard structure is connectable to the telescoping pole assembly, having an integrated inflatable pole cushioning sleeve.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein a flexible foundation coupling is used to couple a pole anchoring plate buried deep within a bed of sand, thus enabling the pole assembly supporting the backboard structure to undergo a degree of movement in the event that a person runs into the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel transportable wind-transmissive basketball system, wherein each part in the system is either color-coded or numbered and snap-fittable into correspondingly color-coded or numbered storage locations strategically arranged on the backboard structure, thereby providing an ultra-compact device for transportation and storage, while minimizing the risk of loss of subcomponents during assembly and disassembly operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable basketball system, wherein the assembled system in its transport configuration can be placed within a plastic carrying case having small holes on the bottom thereof so that the configured system can be easily washed to eliminate the buildup of sand in the carrying bag.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a transportable basketball system, wherein the pole sections used to construct the pole assembly are made from fiber-reinforced polymer tubing in which a low specific gravity foam is injected to provide buoyancy properties to the tube sections in the event the pole sections are put in or used in the water sport environments.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel ball construction for use with the novel transportable basketball system of the present invention, wherein the ball has approximately 8-10xe2x80x3 in diameter, and comprises a pair of semi-spherical half sections which can be combined into a spherical ball using Velcro brand fastening material to enable the ball to be disassembled, attached to and transported with the basketball system alone or in a plastic carrying case.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel ball construction for use with the novel transportable basketball system of the present invention, wherein the ball has approximately a 8-12xe2x80x3 in diameter, and comprises a lightweight solid foam core coated with a thick sponge material that provides the proper weight, balance and grip qualities for shooting at the basket.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.
In general, the above identified objects of the present invention are realized within a transportable basketball system having components which are arrangeable in a play configuration during which a basketball-related game can be played, and also in a transport configuration during which said transportable basketball system can be easily transported between a sand covered outdoor environment and a remote location. Preferably, the transportable basketball system comprises a wind-transmissive backboard structure having a backboard surface disposed substantially within a first plane, bounded by a frame structure, and characterized by high degree of air permeability across said backboard surface so that air currents, expected on said covered environment, can pass therethrough with minimal resistance yet deflect a lightweight basketball when tossed thereagainst during basketball-related games. A basketball hoop structure, defining an opening through which a basketball can be passed during basketball-related games, is operably connected to the wind-transmissive backboard structure. The basketball hoop structure is generally disposed within a second plane substantially perpendicular to the first plane when the transportable basketball system is arranged in its play configuration. A pole assembly, including a plurality of arrangeable pole sections, is provided for supporting the wind-transmissive backboard structure at a height above the surface of a sand bed located in the sand covered outdoor environment. A pole anchoring device, driveable beneath the sand bed, is also provided for supporting the pole assembly in a substantially plumb orientation during the play configuration.
When the basketball system is arranged in its play configuration, the basketball hoop structure is operably connected to the wind-transmissive backboard structure and the second plane is substantially perpendicular to said first plane, the pole assembly is operably connected to the wind-transmissive backboard structure and the pole anchoring device, and the pole anchoring device is driven beneath said sand bed and supports the pole assembly in a substantially plumb orientation while the wind-transmissive backboard structure is supported at a height above the surface of the sand bed, and
When the basketball system is arranged in its transport configuration, the second plane of the basketball hoop structure is orientable substantially parallel to the first backboard surface and the pole sections of the pole assembly are orientable in one or more planes substantially parallel to the first plane and within a space generally defined by dimensions of the frame structure, whereby the transportable basketball system can be arranged for transport in a compact package.
In one illustrative embodiment, the wind-transmissive backboard structure comprises a frame structure having a perimetrical border defining said boundaries of the backboard surface. Open-cell type mesh material is stretched tightly about and fastened to the frame structure so as to form a planar backboard surface which presents minimal resistance to expected air currents present in the sand covered outdoor environment, and undergoes resilient surface distortion when a lightweight basketball is bounced off the backboard surface during game-related play.
In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the wind-transmissive backboard structure comprises a solid substrate of substantially planar geometry, and a plurality of fine air-transmission apertures formed over the surface of the solid substrate.
In one illustrative embodiment, the pole assembly comprises a plurality of telescopically-connected tubes which are intercoupled using telescopic linking mechanisms. The plurality of telescopically-connected tubes comprises a pole encasing tube of largest diameter affixed to the rear side of the backboard frame, and a plurality of telescopically-connected pole sections of narrower diameter are enclosable within the pole encasing tube during the transport configuration. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, either one, two or all of the telescopically-connected pole sections can be pulled out from the pole encasing tube and can be locked into position to support the wind-transmissive backboard structure at a height above the sand bed. An inflatable pole-cushioning sleeve can be provided for surrounding a substantial portion of the pole assembly when the transportable basketball system is arranged in its play configuration. In such an illustrative embodiment, the innermost telescopically-connected pole section comprises a disc-like flange located from the end thereof, for delimiting the movement of the inflatable pole cushioning sleeve off the innermost telescopically-connected pole section. When the inflatable pole-cushioning sleeve is deflated, and the pole assembly is completely retracted within the pole encasing tube, the deflated cushioning sleeve is delimited by the disc-like flange.
Preferably, the basketball hoop structure is hingedly connected to the frame structure so that, when the transportable basketball system is arranged in its play configuration, the first plane is substantially perpendicular to the second plane, and when the transportable basketball system is arranged in its transport configuration, the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane.
In this illustrative embodiment, the pole anchoring device comprises a pole anchoring sleeve having a hollow inner volume for receipt of a portion of the pole assembly. A plurality of perforations is formed through the pole anchoring sleeve, permitting the passage of grains of sand into the hollow inner volume when the pole anchoring sleeve is driven beneath the sand bed. A set of sand-engaging threads is formed on the external surface of the pole anchoring sleeve; and a set of handle structures is provided on the pole anchoring sleeve, enabling a user to rotate the pole anchoring device while pushing the same into the sand bed, thereby screwing the pole anchoring sleeve beneath the sand bed.
Also, a pole anchoring pin is formed on the innermost telescopically-connected pole section, and the pole anchoring sleeve has an aperture for receiving the pole anchoring pin when the innermost telescopically-connected pole section is inserted within the hollow inner volume of the pole anchoring sleeve, thereby locking the pole assembly to the pole anchoring device.
When arranged in its transport configuration, the compactly configured basketball system of the present invention can be placed in a flexible carrying case for transport.
In an alternative embodiment of the transportable basketball system of the present invention, the pole assembly comprises a plurality of pole sections interconnectable to provide as pole structure to support the wind-transmissive backboard structures above the sand-bed at a desired height. In this embodiment, the pole anchoring device may be realized as a pole anchoring plate having perforations which allow grains of dry sand to flow therethrough, and set up with surrounding grains of sand when the buried pole anchoring plate is buried beneath a bed of dry sand during the pole installation process. When arranged in its transport configuration, the basketball hoop structure, pole sections and pole anchoring device are releasably retained on the rear side of the backboard structure, so that the entire system, and all of its components are assembled into a compact unit for transport.
By virtue of the present invention, the problems associated with prior art beach basketball systems, have been overcome, thus enabling parents, grandparents and others to simply install this basketball apparatus upon a sand covered environment so that basketball-related games can be safely played on beaches, ocean-fronts, lake-fronts, shorelines and other sand covered outdoor environments, and then quickly dissassembled and arranged for transport to remote locations, including the truck of an automobile, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.
Further advantages of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.